What can I expect?

You will be asked to complete some questionnaires prior to your first appointment. This assessment session will last for about an hour. ​​Following an initial discussion about current symptoms and functioning, historical symptoms and client sensitivity/reactivity, treatment may start in your first meeting with me. A mild abrasive gel is used to prepare the scalp site and a conductive paste is applied to 3 sensors. Two of these sensors are gently clipped onto the person’s earlobes, and the third sensor is moved around specified sites on the head for a few seconds at each location. The number of sites treated at each session will depend on the sensitivity and reactivity of the client. Based on the recordings at each site, the LENS uses a very low power electromagnetic field to deliver a tiny, battery-generated feedback stimulation. In such a way, it mirrors back the brain’s own patterns, prompting it to re-balance and adopt a more functional state. Most clients feel nothing at all during the process, others who are very sensitive may notice a very mild tingling or fluttering.

Between sessions, people are asked to observe closely and note any effects (positive or bothersome) so that treatment can be adjusted to provide a successful outcome and ensure the treatment is a comfortable experience for them. Symptom ratings are recorded following each session to track changes (progress and complaints) during treatment. The actual neurofeedback aspect of the session usually lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, with the rest of the session spent talking about what effects, if any, the feedback has had on you since your last treatment. Sessions usually occur on a weekly basis (especially for the first 4 sessions), but can be less frequent if required.

Who can benefit?

LENS has been used with more than 500,000 patients with a variety of symptoms, both physical and emotional, that are associated with central nervous system functioning problems. It can improve functioning in the following areas:• Mood• Anxiety• Cognition• Movement and sensory integration• Available energy

97% of people treated have shown some improvement, while 3% have remained the same.

In some cases of complex trauma (particularly very early trauma), the journey can be more complex, with anxiety fluctuating and careful consideration would be given to whether LENS neurofeedback is the best fit for the person (there are various kinds of neurofeedback available). Some people with complex trauma do very well with LENS, others respond better to other systems.

Benefits may include a significant reduction in the problems that had been interfering with a person's ability to function in their work or personal life following a head injury, psychological trauma, or intense period of stress. The return of clarity, resilience, energy during the day, sleeping at night, a sense of humour, motivation to get things done, ease of getting things done, memory, ability to read and listen with less distraction, and the reduction of depression, irritability, impatience, impulsivity and explosiveness, have been observed repeatedly.

Areas of applicability include ADHD, ASD, depression, anxiety, irritability and explosiveness, head injury and post-concussive problems, migraine, PTSD, chemical dependence, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The LENS does not cure any of these problems, but will often increase functioning for somebody with symptoms associated with these problems.

How Many Sessions will I need?

The average duration of treatment across all problems is approximately 15-20 sessions. It is difficult at the outset to predict how many LENS sessions will be required. However, some problems resolve more promptly (mild head injury in around 6 sessions, and stress disorders in 3 sessions) and others require significantly more treatment (autism, severe head injury and stroke). Problems with a sudden onset where the person was functioning well beforehand require less treatment. Genetic problems (where family members have similar difficulties), and lifelong multiple problems where the person is very sensitive to the feedback usually require over 40 treatment sessions.

While many people feel energy, ease, clarity, and calmness after a LENS session, these positive feelings may initially wear off between sessions. This “wearing off” of the good feelings may cause clients to become discouraged and doubtful about their ability to finish treatment. The wearing off appears to be the brain’s way of struggling to remain in the old, familiar, and dysfunctional state.

As people continue with the LENS, the period during which the positive feelings occur becomes longer and the “wearing off” periods become shorter until they no longer occur. It should be noted however, that new insults to the central nervous system after treatment, may produce new problems.

Many of those who have received LENS report continued improvement long after LENS has ended.

What is different about LENS?

In traditional neurofeedback, brainwave information collected via scalp sensors is translated to images on a computer screen or sounds. Clients endeavor to train their brainwaves by making certain effects happen on the screen during sessions lasting 45-60 minutes. No signal is transmitted back to the brain. There is a requirement that the person sit quite still during sessions to avoid muscle activity that would interfere with the measurement of signals from the brain. This kind of neurofeedback typically requires substantially more sessions to see changes than the LENS.

With LENS neurofeedback, clients simply sit quietly with eyes closed for a few moments. A brief, tiny signal feeding back to the brain does all the work. As such, it is much more accessible to clients who cannot sit still or focus for long.

Unlike traditional neurofeedback, LENS clients generally notice changes immediately or within the first few sessions. Fast action, limited number of sessions, overall cost, and the ease and simplicity of treatment all distinguish LENS from traditional neurofeedback.

Are there any side effects?

While many people feel energy, ease, clarity, and calmness after a LENS session, some may experience some other effects. Although no severe negative side effects have been observed so far, the non-significant ones are listed below. Your understanding of them will help you work with us to provide successful treatment.

Brief Reactions: There are some potential risks of discomfort involved in participating in this treatment. When the feedback is too intense or applied for too long, you may feel uncomfortable, irritable, tense and/or anxious, “wired” or tired. This may last for a few hours to a few days. When this happens, please inform us, and the settings can be changed to reduce the treatment dose, ensuring you are once again more comfortable.

Some people report a change in functioning temporarily as their system re-balances (e.g. mild perceptual shifts (things look brighter, clearer), mild co-ordination issues). These issues are temporary signs of the brain reorganising and resolve after a few hours/days.

Return of Symptoms from the Past: occasionally people experience a return of previously resolved symptoms temporarily (eg cluster headaches, migraine, tics, seizures). Often these are of a fraction of their former intensity, and are therefore more manageable for the person than in the past. This occurs because the LENS is a destabilizing intervention, and inevitably leads to the release of suppressed symptoms. With ongoing treatment these released symptoms go away again and do not return, alongside the persistence of higher functioning.

Adjustment Issues: LENS treatment can have a significant effect in just a few weeks. For some, this can lead to adjustment issues, especially in those prone to anxiety or with a history of complex trauma early in life. Pace is key to ensure that patients can adjust and have tools available to manage feelings that arise. In such instances it can be useful to have a therapist available, or to have reduced doses, or less frequent sessions to go at a comfortable pace for you.

What are your fees and how can I pay?

Any initial phone or email discussion about whether my service could be helpful with the problems you are facing is free of charge for the first 15 minutes. Beyond this, I would suggest an initial meeting. My professional fees are as outlined below.

I ask that any treatment is paid for at the end of our meeting. You can pay by cheque or cash. BACS payment within 48 hours of treatment is also accepted.

Bath prices:Initial consultation: £100 (75 minutes) - includes first treatment unless contraindicatedFurther sessions: £40 (25 minutes LENS neurofeedback only - for those who want standalone neurofeedback with limited space for further exploration of current difficulties/thoughts/feelings)£60 (40 minutes for longer neurofeedback sessions/brief psychological support)£80 (55 minutes LENS and psychological support - for those who want/need more time and space)

London prices:Initial consultation: £125 (75 minutes) - includes first treatment unless contraindicatedFurther sessions: £50 (25 minutes LENS neurofeedback only - only for those who can be organised prior to each ​ treatment - ask for details)£75 (40 minutes for longer neurofeedback sessions/brief psychological support)£100 (55 minutes LENS and psychological support - for those who want/need more time and space)

Please note: missed appointments and cancellations made within a nominal 24 hours are fully chargeable.

​Is information I share with you treated confidentially and securely?

Everything that you share with me will be kept confidentially. Information held on the LENS system is anonymised and only your practitioner can access your named details - for supervision purposes, supervisors providing advice are able to access feedback session data and maps of your brainwave activity but have no access to your name or any of your personal details. All Clinical Psychologists work under supervision. As such I might decide to discuss details of your case with a clinical colleague in order to ensure the approach being offered is appropriate and of a high standard. Please be assured, that as the clinical supervisor is also bound by professional codes of conduct, your information will remain confidential.

​It is important to mention though that it is often helpful to share certain information with your GP or other key people (perhaps even providing them with a brief summary of the assessment and treatment). Permission would always be sought from you in advance and you would have the option to decline.

Please be aware that there are some exceptions to confidentiality which mainly relate to risk. For example, if I were concerned that you/your child/someone else were at risk of significant harm, or were engaged in illegal activities, I would be professionally obliged to act accordingly, perhaps by informing your GP, local services, or next of kin. This would not happen without you knowing unless the circumstances were exceptional.

Finally, I am registered with the Information Commissioner, and make every effort to store personal information securely, both electronically and on paper. Although I am happy to discuss matters via email, you should be aware that this data is stored on third party servers, and it is therefore perhaps advisable to save particularly sensitive matters for discussion in person, in letter form, or over the phone.

When is LENS not suitable?

There are some situations when LENS may not be appropriate:• When there is an underlying chronic condition such as Lymes disease, heavy metal poisoning, mould exposure, gut dysbiosis (“leaky gut”) – these ideally should be treated first.• When a person has recently started a new medication or treatment regime (eg acupuncture, homeopathy, diet, anti- depressants) – it will be difficult to establish what effects are produced by the LENS in guiding treatment. Stabilize on any other treatment regime first before starting LENS.• When people are medically unstable – again, stabilize first, before starting LENS.• Physical illness. If you are very unwell, your system is already under stress, and the additional “pull” on your physiology of the LENS will not be helpful. Wait until you are recovered before receiving treatment.